Mother's Instinct

Tariq folded his arms across his chest as he looked at the computer screen. He had to admit Catherine had been sneaky when she had gone looking for information about Arkady's death but he had never imagined she would find out Harry and Ros were involved in his demise. Tariq didn't know how he would feel if he had been in her shoes, but then he reasoned it was their job to be sneaky, sometimes that meant you found out things about people you knew. They were sometimes things you'd rather not know. He glanced over to the office to see Harry had forgotten to close the blinds. Ros looked too calm, a sure sign she was furious, while Lucas and Harry seemed restrained. Catherine was staring at her feet while Malcolm sat in the chair opposite Harry. He hated to think what was going on in there, but not for the first time he realised how much he missed having Ruth on the Grid.

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"In case any of you were wondering Arkady was not shot in cold blood." Harry paused. Catherine raised an eyebrow. She knew he thought of Adam as family. To him all Section D were. She knew there wasn't many things he would not do to protect them. She just hoped he was telling her the truth. The idea of her father shooting someone in revenge made her feel slightly sick. Harry looked his daughter in the eye, as if he could read her mind. As a child she had been convinced he had been.

"He died a long time ago." Malcolm frowned. "If his brother has been led to believe it was anything other than what it was why go after the team in the field? Why attack Zaf, Adam and Alec?"

Ros was about to answer when she felt her phone vibrate in her pocket. "Zaf." She stated before stepping out of the room. Harry sighed heavily as he watched her go. He knew she would back him on whatever he told the team regarding Arkady's death but that did not stop him from blaming himself for what had happened to Adam. It seemed by avenging his death so long ago, or at least appearing to he had put his friend in danger now. Moments later Ros returned to the room.

"That was Zaf. He is bringing in one of Arkady's henchmen. Picked him up trying to kill Adam." The ice was evident in her voice. Catherine swore quietly as Lucas asked if his friend was alright. Ros nodded.

"Adam and Zaf have nine lives. I reckon both must be on number 7 by now." Lucas smiled slightly. "It was Alec that apparently saw someone he thought was dodgy outside his own room. So he followed them. Lucky for Adam that he did." She paused as Catherine looked at her father.

"If Akardy's brother is the one behind all this, then its a fair assumption revenge is the motive." She paused. "He must have known the boys were going to Italy. He must have arranged it all, its getting the evidence that he had Alec poisoned." She watched as Harry nodded slightly. "He would have contacts."

"Yes." Malcolm nodded.

"Hold on." Lucas paused. "He went after Adam and Alec in hospital. Cleaning up? Getting rid of loose ends?"

"Could be." Harry frowned. "Lucas, if you were get in his head. If you were him and wanted revenge on me, for the death of your brother what would you do?" He felt his gut turn to ice as Lucas narrowed his eyes.

"Attack the hospital to distract from my real target."

"Which would be?" Harry knew he was going to regret asking but was already half way to his feet.

"Ruth." Lucas looked him in the eye. "If Cath is right and he has been planning this for more than a decade he knows you are married. He may even know your son was in hospital. The weirdo Alec reported seeing could also have been on a recce to see if Ruth and Nick were still on the Children's Ward."

Harry marched out of the office, car keys in one hand as he yelled over the relative commotion of the Grid. "Beth, Erin, Will get to the hospital. Make sure our team there are safe. Dimitri, Lucas, Ros, Calum with me." He headed out of the Pods as Catherine yelled.

"What do I do?"

"STAY HERE! DO AS YOU ARE BLOODY WELL TOLD FOR ONCE!" The pod doors closed around him as Zoe approached her.

"We work the intel. Make sure they have what they need for them to all get back here. Ok?"

"Ok." Catherine pushed her anger down, determined that she was not going to let her step mother down.

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Ruth yawned as she boiled the kettle. Part of her wished she was on the Grid, but everyone had been adamant that she should stay away which seemed a little strange as her and Harry were in the same house, sharing the same bed but the isolation rules didn't affect him. She poured the hot water over the tea bag as the cats began circling her legs.

"Muggles, you are going to trip me up one day." She smiled at the black cat who didn't seem in the least bit concerned at the idea she would fall because of him. Fidget seemed to hunch up on his legs, hissing at something outside the window. Ruth paused, sipping her tea slowly. "There's no one there." Ruth watched as the older cat seemed to have a different opinion. She turned to see Gracie in the doorway.

"Terri is sleeping, Gray has gone for a run." She shrugged. For a moment Ruth assumed that was who the cats had seen outside. "Mum." Ruth headed towards the young girl, kneeling in front of her.

"This is very very important." Ruth whispered as Gracie's eyes widened. "Go upstairs, go into Nick's room. He's awake, he was playing his music a minute ago." Gracie pulled a face.

"But the germs."

"Its ok, I need you to be extra brave. Take Scarlet with you and stay in Nick's room. Do not come out until I come to get you. Ok?" Gracie nodded. "Tell Nick he can play his CDs as loud as he likes. See how loud he can make it. OK?"

"Terri?"

"Get her too." Ruth watched as Gracie ran from the room, racing upstairs with the elderly Jack Russell at her side. Once Ruth heard the door slam she stepped out of the kitchen, locking her cats inside. Something was wrong, she could sense it. The 'born spook' in her that Harry had complimented more than once was in full flow. She checked the bolts on the back door as she silently wished she had a gun at home, even though she hated them. Three Days Grace filled the house as Ruth felt herself relax a little. Her children and her daughter in law wouldn't hear what was more than likely about to happen. She glanced at the paperweight on the hall table. As a weapon it would have to do.

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"She isn't answering." Dimitri stated as Lucas pushed his foot to the accelerator. He knew Harry would be imagining the scene they had found when Deary and Ruth had been targeted by the French assassin years earlier. He felt sick at the thought his friend was literally fighting for her life.

"The kids are there." Lucas stated, thinking about how Amy and James would be in that situation. Nick was older but unwell, while Terri was eight months pregnant and Gracie still in Infants School. He tried to stay focused on the road as Dimitri tried the number again.

"Yeah, that's more worrying. Why is no-one answering?" Dimitri checked his gun, hoping and praying they got to the house before Harry and Ros did.

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Ruth ignored the mobile for a moment. The ringing adding to the cacophany of Nick's heavy metal music filling the house. Suddenly she was grabbed from behind as she screamed before twisting to see a man dressed in black holding on to her hair. A punch knocked her sideways into the hall table as she began fighting with the man, grabbling for the gun he had in his left hand. The commotion caused the table to smash, leaving them fighting on the polished wood floor. Ruth gasped as a punch hit her in the gut. She brought her knee up, firmly getting his groin as he hit her with the pistol. She blinked, see stars as he stepped back. He made to move to the stairs, but there was no way she was going to let him reach upstairs. Not where her babies were. She used all her strength to rugby tackle him to the floor, unaware that the music had momentarily got louder before it dipped back to normal. A gasp from above caught the attackers attention as Terri realised what she was watching.

"GO!" Ruth yelled before her and the attacker seemed to catapult themselves forwards, hitting every step on the way down. Terri stepped back, crossed herself before grabbing the snooker cue Graham had bought for Nick's birthday. She was not going to let her mother in law fight alone.

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Harry pushed his foot to the floor as the 4x4 took the corner of his street at almost 80 mph. He knew there was no time to adhere to speed limits. In his mind he could hear Ruth telling him off for yet more speed cameras to doctor. The car breaks screeched in protest as he opened the door - hitting the ground the moment the engine died. Ros had her gun in one hand as she reached the front door a moment before Harry did. Kicking it open she focused the gun on the couple still fighting.

"RUTH!" Harry yelled. Ros looked up to see Terri holding her swollen abdomen.

"One went out the back." Ros nodded as Lucas and Dimitri arrived. Lucas grabbed the man off Ruth, punching him square in the chest.

"Not so easy when a bloke hits you, is it?" Lucas hissed as he dragged him outside before Harry or Ruth could kill him. Dimitri chased the second suspect through the garden as Harry crossed the hall to both women.

"Terri, are you ok?"

"Yes." Terri was shaking slightly as she nodded. "I. Well."

Ruth sat up, shaking violently as she told Terri to check on the kids. Harry helped her to her feet. Blood oozed from a wound on her right cheek a bruise was already forming on her left eye. Harry brushed her hair out of her face. "Do not say this is adrenaline withdrawal."

Harry closed his eyes, swearing slightly before pulling her into his arms. He buried his face in her shoulder as she realised he was shaking as much as she was. "You are amazing." He whispered. "Fighting like."

"My babies are here." Ruth sighed as she leant heavily against him. "No one is touching them." She looked out of the damaged front door to see Dimitri and Lucas load two men she didn't recognise into the back of a police van. She closed her eyes, refusing to think what might have happened had the cats not alerted her to the intruders. She caught Ros' eyes as the blonde woman approached. A silent understanding passed between them, Harry didn't understand it but he knew enough not to question them.

"The kids?" Ros asked as she saw the bruising on Ruth's face.

"Are in Nick's room." Ruth sighed. "I think we have some explaining to do."

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